Perspectives on the Significance of Borders in Europe: Past Challenges, Future Developments

In the first chapter, the authors review the evolution of borders throughout European history. The modern concept of borders as dividing lines is a fairly recent phenomenon and constitutes somewhat of a paradox in a historical perspective. It evolved as political orders started to use borders to demarcate the boundaries of their power. In that vein, the modern nation-state was premised on the control over a specific territory whose political system, wealth, and culture had to be defended against enemies, often to the detriment of peaceful inter-state relations in Europe. After World War II, European integration was pursued with the aim of forming a political union challenging the traditional notion of borders as the economic, political, and social boundaries between the EU member states were gradually removed. In the process, however, borders as demarcation lines towards countries not (yet) members of the Union rose in significance. Consequently, the EU has been in almost constant enlargement since its inception, increasing its membership from six to 28 and then 27, because of Brexit. The chapter concludes by presenting the varying perspectives of borders in contemporary Europe as they appear in the ensuing chapters of the book.